Activity 2 1.How have human activities altered the natural environment? Over time humans have changed the environment to suit them, sometimes they don’t think about what it will do to the land and what the consequences are.
Activity 6
Activity 7 Unit 2 – VCE – Outdoor & Environmental Studies Grampians National Park Introduction All answers can be found at http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/education/resource_kit/section4b.htm Introduction to Grampians National Park 1)Provide a summary of the Park (What does it contain?) a.What activities can be complete within the park? Bush walking, car touring, picnicking, camping, rockclimbing, photographing and nature observation. Landscape Characteristics 2)Explain the unique characteristics of the Grampians a.Where is the park located? Central, western Victoria, approximately 260km road, North-West of Melbourne. Closest cities are Horsham, Hamilton, Ararat and Stawell. Halls Gap is a small township surrounded by the park. Climate of the Grampians Area 3)Provide a basic summary of the parks climate a.What will be the expected temperature (min and max) and rainfall for the month that we are away? The area has a high rainfall, receiving 635mm to 762mm annually, with up to 1000mm at high altitudes. Most rainfall in the area occurs between April and November. Vegetation of the Grampians 4)Provide a Basic Summary of the vegetation of the Grampians a.What are the main Plant communities within the park? There are 900 different flowering plants. Approximately one third of Victoria’s vascular flora can be found in the park, including over 20 endemic plants i.e. plants that only occur naturally in Grampians region. Animals of the Grampians 5)Explain the diversity of the animal species at the Grampians a.What Mammals, Fish, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians can we expect to see? A great variety of wildlife occurs in the Grampians, representing a high percentage of the native animal species found in Victoria: • 43% of Victoria's bird species, • 34% of Victoria's mammal species, • 34% of the State's amphibian species, • 28% of Victoria's reptile species and • 20% of Victoria's freshwater fish species. Four mammals, four reptiles, three fish and eight bird species recorded in the park are considered to be rare, threatened or requiring careful monitoring. Significant animal species in the park include Heath Mouse, Smokey Mouse, Squirrel Glider, and Peregrine Falcon. Brush- tailed Rock-wallaby occurred in the Grampians until recently and may be re-introduced in the future. The tiny Smoky Mouse requires tall open forest and sub-alpine heath lands to survive. The Heath Mouse is found only in the Grampians and coastal heath lands in the south-west of Victoria. The Squirrel Glider is found in red gum woodlands in the north of the Park. Mammals Thirty-five different mammal species occur in the Park, including the popular koala. A total of five species of kangaroo and wallabies occur in the area, making it the richest macropod area in the State. Open forest plant communities, where many of the mammal species are most likely to be seen, are especially important habitats for wallabies, kangaroos and bandicoots. Woodlands are important for possums and gliders which need tree hollows for shelter and breeding. Heathlands are particularly important for small mammals such as the Heath Mouse and Pygmy-possum. Birds Grampians National Park is particularly rich in bird life with 200 species that is forty-three per cent of species recorded in Victoria. The Park has a relatively large breeding population of the Peregrine Falcon, a rare bird worldwide. Birds are blackbird, pigeon, skylark, sparrow, goldfinch and starling. A further six species of introduced fish, including the popular Rainbow and Brown Trout, occur in the park, particularly in the reservoirs. Eleven species of frogs live in the park. Visitors to the Grampians National Park 6)Who uses the Grampians? a.What do visitors do? Recreation is one of the main uses of Grampians National Park. The most popular activities are pleasure driving (with associated sightseeing and picnicking), camping and bush walking. The park contains a variety of camping and picnic grounds and many walking tracks. Some 1000 kilometres of roads and tracks provide an extensive network for recreation as well as for management purposes. The park is also a very popular rock climbing area. Visitors are also involved in abseiling, painting and photography, nature study, fishing, boating, swimming, four-wheel driving, horse riding, cycling and wildlife viewing. By far the most popular area of the park is the Wonderlands area, with its concentration of short and long walking trails to striking geological formations and views. Major visitor sites are: The Pinnacle, Grand Canyon, Lakeview Lookout, Sundial Peak and Silverband Falls. Several kilometres to the south of the Wonderland area is another popular visitor destination, Mount William, the highest peak in the park. Many other sites (e.g. MacKenzie Falls) are located throughout the park, offering visitors with cars scenic drives, walks and camp sites. b.How many visitors were there between 2000 and 2001? 1,505,428 people had been to the Grampians between 2000 and 2001.
Activity 2
1. How have human activities altered the natural environment?
Over time humans have changed the environment to suit them, sometimes they don’t think about what it will do to the land and what the consequences are.
Activity 6
Activity 7
Unit 2 – VCE – Outdoor & Environmental Studies
Grampians National Park Introduction
All answers can be found at http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/education/resource_kit/section4b.htm
Introduction to Grampians National Park
1) Provide a summary of the Park (What does it contain?)
a. What activities can be complete within the park?
Bush walking, car touring, picnicking, camping, rockclimbing, photographing and nature observation.
Landscape Characteristics
2) Explain the unique characteristics of the Grampians
a. Where is the park located?
Central, western Victoria, approximately 260km road, North-West of Melbourne. Closest cities are Horsham, Hamilton, Ararat and Stawell. Halls Gap is a small township surrounded by the park.
Climate of the Grampians Area
3) Provide a basic summary of the parks climate
a. What will be the expected temperature (min and max) and rainfall for the month that we are away?
The area has a high rainfall, receiving 635mm to 762mm annually, with up to 1000mm at high altitudes. Most rainfall in the area occurs between April and November.
Vegetation of the Grampians
4) Provide a Basic Summary of the vegetation of the Grampians
a. What are the main Plant communities within the park?
There are 900 different flowering plants. Approximately one third of Victoria’s vascular flora can be found in the park, including over 20 endemic plants i.e. plants that only occur naturally in Grampians region.
Animals of the Grampians
5) Explain the diversity of the animal species at the Grampians
a. What Mammals, Fish, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians can we expect to see?
A great variety of wildlife occurs in the Grampians, representing a high percentage of the native animal species found in Victoria:
• 43% of Victoria's bird species,
• 34% of Victoria's mammal species,
• 34% of the State's amphibian species,
• 28% of Victoria's reptile species and
• 20% of Victoria's freshwater fish species.
Four mammals, four reptiles, three fish and eight bird species recorded in the park are considered to be rare, threatened or requiring careful monitoring.
Significant animal species in the park include Heath Mouse, Smokey Mouse, Squirrel Glider, and Peregrine Falcon. Brush- tailed Rock-wallaby occurred in the Grampians until recently and may be re-introduced in the future.
The tiny Smoky Mouse requires tall open forest and sub-alpine heath lands to survive. The Heath Mouse is found only in the Grampians and coastal heath lands in the south-west of Victoria. The Squirrel Glider is found in red gum woodlands in the north of the Park.
Mammals
Thirty-five different mammal species occur in the Park, including the popular koala. A total of five species of kangaroo and wallabies occur in the area, making it the richest macropod area in the State.
Open forest plant communities, where many of the mammal species are most likely to be seen, are especially important habitats for wallabies, kangaroos and bandicoots. Woodlands are important for possums and gliders which need tree hollows for shelter and breeding. Heathlands are particularly important for small mammals such as the Heath Mouse and Pygmy-possum.
Birds
Grampians National Park is particularly rich in bird life with 200 species that is forty-three per cent of species recorded in Victoria. The Park has a relatively large breeding population of the Peregrine Falcon, a rare bird worldwide.
Birds are blackbird, pigeon, skylark, sparrow, goldfinch and starling. A further six species of introduced fish, including the popular Rainbow and Brown Trout, occur in the park, particularly in the reservoirs. Eleven species of frogs live in the park.
Visitors to the Grampians National Park
6) Who uses the Grampians?
a. What do visitors do?
Recreation is one of the main uses of Grampians National Park. The most popular activities are pleasure driving (with associated sightseeing and picnicking), camping and bush walking.
The park contains a variety of camping and picnic grounds and many walking tracks. Some 1000 kilometres of roads and tracks provide an extensive network for recreation as well as for management purposes. The park is also a very popular rock climbing area.
Visitors are also involved in abseiling, painting and photography, nature study, fishing, boating, swimming, four-wheel driving, horse riding, cycling and wildlife viewing.
By far the most popular area of the park is the Wonderlands area, with its concentration of short and long walking trails to striking geological formations and views. Major visitor sites are: The Pinnacle, Grand Canyon, Lakeview Lookout, Sundial Peak and Silverband Falls. Several kilometres to the south of the Wonderland area is another popular visitor destination, Mount William, the highest peak in the park. Many other sites (e.g. MacKenzie Falls) are located throughout the park, offering visitors with cars scenic drives, walks and camp sites.
b. How many visitors were there between 2000 and 2001?
1,505,428 people had been to the Grampians between 2000 and 2001.